


The Violent Tenderness, the Sweetest Silence

by yeehawsimp



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Advice, Alternate Universe - No Sparrow Academy (Umbrella Academy), Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Brother Feels, Brotherly Love, Diego Hargreeves Whump, Diego Hargreeves is Bad at Feelings, Diego is trying, Drug Abuse, Drug Use, Drug Withdrawal, Gen, Good Sibling Diego Hargreeves, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Klaus Hargreeves Needs Help, Klaus Hargreeves Whump, Mentioned Ben Hargreeves, Mentioned David "Dave" Katz, Mentioned The Hargreeves (Umbrella Academy), No Incest, POV Alternating, POV Diego Hargreeves, POV Klaus Hargreeves, Past Drug Addiction, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Relapsing, Spoilers, Stuttering Diego Hargreeves, The Umbrella Academy (TV) Season 2 Spoilers, please don't sexualize this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:41:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25929793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeehawsimp/pseuds/yeehawsimp
Summary: !TRIGGER WARNING FOR THEMES OF DRUGS AND PTSD!Everything seems to be fine with the Hargreeves family. They're safe, they're happy, and there's no longer an apocalypse to prevent. They can be ordinary - well, as ordinary as a family with supernatural powers can be.Well, SEEMS to be.That is, until Diego catches Klaus about to relapse on the bathroom floor of the academy.
Relationships: Diego Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves
Comments: 19
Kudos: 192





	The Violent Tenderness, the Sweetest Silence

**Author's Note:**

> hey! i rarely write angst stuff, but this sort of depressing idea popped into my head and i just,,, kinda had to write it. i hope this isn't horribly written (excuse my insecurity, i get super anxious about my works) and if you could leave feedback, that'd be kinda cool,,,  
> also! headcanons/story ideas are super welcome! i have the fandoms/ships i write for in the bio of my account.  
> i'm bad at notes, and this is weirdly upbeat for such a heavy, sad topic, so uh. enjoy? at least try to with the sadness.
> 
> also the lyrics used for the title are from mary by big thief,,, you know, the song klaus had a breakdown to on and off the bus back from 'nam,,, *sobs*
> 
> QUICK NOTE! i know the stuttering was not the best written! i didn't do much research beforehand, but please note that this is not EXTREMELY accurate to people with true stutters!

It had been three months since the second apocalypse. Everything had calmed down with the Hargreeves, and now, everyone was trying to fit into normal, everyday life again. All of them were closer now, too. It was a refreshing change of pace, especially since they'd all gone their separate ways for thirteen years, longer for some than others. No texts, no calls, no mail, nada _._ How the times change.

Supposedly, no one had to worry anymore. The six siblings would occasionally - and by occasionally, I mean around three to four times a week - come around to the old academy, communing, laughing, maybe even staying the night if they wanted that sense of homeliness. You could feel the love when you stepped in the door, and it lingered when you left.

Diego had decided to come around on the second day of July, the anniversary of the second not-apocalypse. It was hot, and, of course, this creaky old building had no A/C, so he didn't expect anyone to be home. _Home._ The word still felt weird on his tongue. Despite calling this place his "home" for seventeen years, these floors and hallways unearthed horrible memories. Chinks in various objects from his knives, the massive chunk taken out of the kitchen door from a teenage Luther's rage, the chandelier still littering the foyer floor... it made him uneasy to think about.

But, as Allison had told them when they got home, they could wash out all of the trauma and utter shit they were dragged through with new memories; happy, good memories, even if they were just simple. Diego had audibly gagged when he heard her say it, but even he had to admit, he was trying his damn hardest. Eudora - oh, he missed Eudora - had always ragged on him about how _horrible_ he was with emotions, and he'd always just brushed it off with some witty, biting remark. He had never handled happiness well.

He noticed that he had been aimlessly pacing around the foyer and stopped, his boot coming down on a chunk of glass and crunching it beneath his foot. He cringed, stepping back and shaking his head at the wreck.

"Do none of us know how to sweep?" Diego muttered under his breath, moving to look for the stairs. Naturally, he wasn't going to be the one to take care of the mess. He wasn't _that_ responsible.

Even the stairs somehow seemed happier, which was cheesy as shit to say in Diego's mind. They didn't sag nearly as much as they seemed to do at Dad's funeral, and the footprints worn into the wood are less menacing, more inviting than before.

Despite that, a cold chill still runs down his back. It raises goosebumps on his skin, the sticky heat and that sneaking sensation that _something is wrong_ contrasting in a gross feeling over his body.

He shrugged it off as he reached the top of the stairs, brushing strands of previously-plastered hair off of his forehead. Tracing a tanned hand over the railing, he tried to enjoy the blissful, blissful silence - no yelling, no frantic voice raising, no mild calamity as empty urns were thrown at people's heads. Though Diego loved the hectic nature that had blossomed inside of his family, it was... overwhelming, at times.

His mind drifted to yesterday, when they'd all gathered in the supposed "living room" to have a friendly, family chat. Which had proceeded to turn into... urn chucking. And a bit of a food fight, as made evident with the taco sauce stains that were still on the wall. The banter had still managed to stay friendly, and everyone had been laughing by evening.

Except...

_**Klaus.** _

Diego furrowed his brows as he came to this realization, stopping with his hand against the wallpaper. Klaus was different since coming back. Humble, quiet, slowly filtering more black into his closet as he'd done before, just like the first time Diego had looked at him in thirteen years. He was more... bleak. The risque light in his eyes had died, and he shook, like he had plunged his hands into a vat of ice water for fifteen minutes and taken them back out. It was that bad.

This was how Diego knew that he himself was changing too. His observational skills had increased, and honestly, with this newfound apprehension, he was glad.

He remembered how pale Klaus had looked yesterday, and how absent he seemed during the meeting yesterday. He was nervous, sickly, frantic... 

For the first time in three months, Diego was truly worried for the well-being of his brother.

These thoughts plagued him as he absently paced through the upstairs hallways, past their old rooms, his steps becoming more brisk as he walked by Reginald's study. He _loathed_ that study. He didn't think he'd ever recover from the things he'd been told in that godforsaken room, and neither would any of the others. Another eerie feeling slithered down his slick back and he made a noise of discomfort, continuing on.

He still couldn't stop thinking about the condition he'd seen Klaus in yesterday. And, come to think about it, the time before. And the time before. My god, how long had he gone without realizing how horrible his brother was getting?

Diego sighed deeply, scratching at the skin under his collar. He had to stop; his head was starting to spin, whether it be from his racing thoughts or him overheating. Leaning against the wall beside the bathroom door, he mumbled something about the 'damned A/C' and raked his hands through his hair. He squinted his eyes shut, and, through gritted teeth, cussed out the air.

Which, apparently, did not go to waste, because he heard a loud thump from inside the bathroom.

His eyes opened and he pushed himself off the wall, all of his defenses active. Instinct told him many things; someone might be breaking in, or maybe hurt, or maybe a ransom note had been thrown through the window? Was Five trying (and failing) to get in sneakily? He was still a vigilante, so naturally, he was wary about these things. Allison had once said he had a stick up his ass and was literally just paranoid, but Diego tried not to let it get to him.

Diego's first course of action, regularly, would be to kick the door open - or down, honestly - but he retaliated against it. This house was ANCIENT, and it was a family house. He knew Luther would be pissed if he ruined any part of it. It was the ape's job anyways, what with the busted kitchen wall.

So he leaned close to the door, a knife in hand, pressing his ear against the door. No noise. _Hm._

He'd almost stepped back to break open the door, but then, he heard it. Retching, like someone was in there after a hectic night out. Then, the tell-tale sound of a person vomiting into the toilet.

Diego's brows knitted together in concern and confusion, stepping warily back from the door.

"Well, something's up," he mumbled to himself, slowly putting the knife back. It didn't seem like he'd be needing it.

Then, after some slight hesitation, he put his hand on the brass handle and turned it, opening the door. "Hello?"

He didn't know what he was expecting, but it definitely wasn't Klaus, the brother he'd been thinking about not even a minute ago. Even moreso, he sure as hell didn't expect to see him leaning against the tub, tears streaming down his face, needle in his quivering hands, vomit sprayed lightly across the floor.

**_"Oh my god, Klaus!"_ **

* * *

Klaus was going batshit.

He thought everything was going to get _better_ after the resolution of their problems, not _worse._ He was supposed to be free of worry; no Ben to bug him, a supportive family behind him, cleaner than he had been in a long, long time. But in all honesty, he was losing himself.

In fact, Ben leaving for good had hit him a lot harder than he made it seem. Yeah, he'd laughed it off in the car with Vanya. Yeah, he'd said absolutely nothing of it after that unless it was brought up. He didn't even think Vanya had said _anything_ to the rest of the Hargreeves, because actually, Ben was rarely a topic of conversation. And if he was asked about, Klaus was great at pretending he was still there.

But with Ben gone, there was a sort of emptiness in his head. He always expected his brother to show up and say some witty remark, and Klaus would say something back, and then they'd laugh about it later. Everything would be good and fine. That expectation, however, was always, always let down, and it just made everything worse.

Ben had been his one source of stability for years; whether it be guidance, friendship, criticism, or pure stupidity, he was there, with Klaus, in spirit. And now that he was gone... he felt hollow.

Realizing that he wouldn't have been able to save Dave, no matter how hard he tried, had hit him like a truck too. The dog tags were less of a memorial and more of a burden, reminding him of who he'd killed, whether it was indirectly or not. He'd done that. _He killed Dave. _

He still couldn't bear to part with the tags. They carried too much baggage with them, even if a hell of a lot of it was sad.

Klaus just felt like the weight of the world had been thrown onto his shoulders in just three years; overcoming addiction, being worshipped, stopping the apocalypse, falling in love, the sheer FEAR of the war... it was all crushing him. Becoming too much.

He hadn't thought his family had noticed either, which was a good thing in his book. He'd hang out with them as normal, throw out some shitty, classic Klaus lines, then when they all left, he _stayed._ This house had become his one goddamn rock since losing his first one, and now, he didn't think he'd ever leave.

And finally, when his walls came crashing down, and the ghosts and evil thoughts began to plague every fucking hour of his life, he lost it. Called up his dealer, got his old usual, and no questions were asked when he thanked the guy through sniffles.

Which is how he got here, on the Umbrella Academy bathroom floor, puking and crying and wishing he wasn't so sensitive.

Enter Diego.

**_"Oh my god, Klaus!"_ **

Klaus's head whipped up as he looked at his brother through bloodshot, teary eyes, a weak (fake) smile blossoming on his face.

"Diego! Oh, it's-it's good to see you, really, I didn't know anyone else would be-"

He didn't keep that look up for long as Diego fell down to his knees and scurried over to him, reaching for him, trying to comfort him. Klaus's face faltered and he flinched away from his hands, his own shaking so badly he could hardly hold the needle.

"Don't give me that, you b-bastard, are you okay? Fuck.." Diego fluttered around his brother's body for a second, finally letting his hands come to a rest on Klaus's shoulders.

"Well..." Klaus glanced at the needle in hand, the vomit on the floor, and the teardrops staining his shirt, then back to Diego. "...sort of an obvious answer, isn't it?"

Diego rolled his eyes and Klaus choked on another sob, the rim of the bathtub digging into his shoulders.

"Why are you here, Klaus? What's going on? Do I need to call som-"

"NO!" He interrupted, startling Diego and jumping at his own tone. "No, no, please don't call anyone, please. I'm... I could ask you the same thing, Batman, did you come in to save the day? Heard a noise and saw your danger symbol?"

"That's... exa-actly what happened, but holy shit, Klaus, you're a mess!"

"Really? I hardly noticed." Klaus gripped the needle tighter in his hands, his knuckles going white.

When Diego looked down at his hands, he just curled his knees tighter into his chest, turning his face away as he felt how hot it was becoming. That meant another wave of tears, and he did NOT want Diego to be there to see that. He'd already seen enough.

"Well," Klaus said, after a moment of silence, "I don't want - need your help, so you can just... stomp your way out of the door and brood elsewhere, hm? Please?"

"You're-you're a horrible liar, K-klaus. Just let me-" Diego reached for the needle, and Klaus could see his hands shaking too. This sight must HORRIFY him, he thought, what with his fear of needles.

Klaus's reflexes kicked in and he yanked his arm away, skittering out of Diego's reach and back against the wall. He gritted his teeth as he looked at his brother, his face expectant.

"KLAUS! Ple-ease, I j-just want to help!"

"You can help me by LEAVING ME THE FUCK ALONE, Diego, hm?! I already had Ben to do that for me, and he's GONE-" Another choking sob escaped his throat as he turned his head away. Looking Diego in the face was so, so difficult, especially with how fucking _afraid_ he looked.

There was an eerie silence in the air, only broken by Klaus's sniffles and coughing through his tears.

"...g-go-gone? Klaus, you already knew he w-was dead... dead, what do you mean by go-o-one?..."

"He left. _Poof._ Off to the great beyond, towards the light at the end of the tunnel." Klaus chuckled with strain, biting down on his bottom lip and chewing on the skin. It had already been bleeding before, torn apart due to his own nervosity.

Another silence. Then, Diego stood, the squeak of his shoes causing Klaus to look at him. He sat on the edge of the tub and stared at, first, his legs, then looked at Klaus with that frightened, worried expression.

"Is that why you've-you've been so on ed-edge lately?"

Klaus's face broke out into a manic smile. He shook his head and let the needle clatter to the floor, itching at the skin on his wrist.

"You noticed, huh?" He looked back at Diego and let his tears slide down his face. His mind was racing at a million miles per second, and with Diego here, he didn't know how long it'd be until he just ran out of the room and found another quiet place to relish in sweet, high paradise.

"Of c-c-COURSE I noticed! You're m-my damn BROTHER, for God's s-sake, and now that you m-menti-tion Ben being gone, it just... c-clicks, Klaus!" Diego looked frantic, running his hands through his hair and looking over Klaus's body. "You alr-ready looked like hell, and this... f-f-fuck, man, I sh-should have asked-"

"You wouldn't have gotten an answer anyways, babe, I can tell you that for certain." Klaus wiped his eyes and kept digging at the skin on his arms, old needle wounds starting to feel like new. "Nobody else bothered, and everything is supposed to be sunshine, lollipops and rainbows, right? So why mention it?"

Diego furrowed his brows and put his hand over his mouth, monotonously shaking his head. He was muttering to himself - what a surprise, Klaus thought.

"C-can you at least tell m-me n-no-ow? Now that I've..." Diego waved his hand at Klaus, leaning his head in his hands and waiting.

Klaus bit his cheek and wiped his eyes on the back of his hand again, not caring that it wouldn't stop the onslaught of tears bound to come pouring out of his eyes. He nodded lightly and watched Diego offer up a sad smile, smiling warily back and exhaling with a shudder.

* * *

"It was like a wave was crashing on my back," Klaus started, his speech halting, "pulling me farther and farther out to sea. Taking me further from the family and their happiness and into this... dark, scary place. It was like being locked in the mausoleum as a kid, but worse."

Usually, Diego hated metaphors with a passion, but if this was how his brother coped, then he was willing to deal with it.

"You know how everything was supposed to get... better after the apocalypse? Well, that's the opposite of what happened. My mind went to places I hadn't explored in YEARS, since we were first _Back to the Futured_ into the sixties. I mean, sure, I'd used recreational shit, like pot, but I hadn't even thought about serious drugs or Dave for those short, blissful years. I told you about Dave, didn't I?"

Diego nodded. When he'd tied him up during the first apocalypse to help him see Dave one last time.

~

_"I'd think you'd wanna pop every pill on the planet," Diego mused, tying Klaus tighter to the chair._

_"Oh, the thought did cross my mind, believe me, but... there's something I need to do, and the whole pesky thing doesn't seem to work-" Klaus sighs as Diego tightens another knot, earning a nasty glare from his brother. "-unless I'm sober."_

_Diego pauses in his actions, a thoughtful, almost sympathetic look being directed at Klaus."Is this is about conjuring the one you lost?"_

_Klaus sighs, a ghost of a smile fluttering across his face._

_"What was her name?" Diego asks, continuing on with the bonds._

_Klaus falters for a moment, taking a deep breath before he explains. "His name was Dave._ _We... we soldiered together in the A Shau Valley... in the Mountain of the Crouching Beast."_

_"Well, Dave must have been a very special person to put up with your weird-ass shit." Klaus can tell Diego is... half-joking._

_"Yeah, Klaus chuckles. Yeah, he was... He was kind, and strong, and vulnerable, and... beautiful. Beautiful. And I was... foolish enough to follow him all the way to the front line."_

_"You fought in the shit?" Diego asks, dumbfounded. Klaus? Fighting in a war? Impossible._

_Klaus nods, chuckling a little bit."Oh yeah, baby."_

_"How'd they let you do that?"_

_"Let me? War couldn't take enough bodies, please. Including his..."_

~

Diego was shocked out of the memory by Klaus crying out again, causing him to raise his head in concern. His brother was sitting there, forehead on his knees, shoulders shaking with every broken noise. It made his heart ache like a son of a bitch to see him in this state. The needle, the vomit, the sheer panic and distraught that Klaus was going through in mere minutes... fuck, he hadn't been like this since they were teens. At least, not to Diego's knowledge.

So, before he could continue, he slipped off the rim of the bathtub, moving over to Klaus's side and just... sitting. The only part of their bodies that touched was their knees, and that was fine by the two of them. Klaus needed support and subtle comfort, and that was exactly what Diego was going to do.

Klaus practically took a gasp of air, trying to swallow down the knot in his throat enough to continue talking. He looked at his brother with bloodshot emerald eyes, a mixture of sadness, gratefulness, and emptiness clouding them. Diego looked him in the eyes and nodded, trying to ignore the quiver in his lip.

"He-" Klaus hiccuped once, then continued on, "-Dave... I saw him in '63. He was so... young, and beautiful... blissfully ignorant to the hell he'd find in 'Nam." A dark chuckle rang through his body, raising goosebumps on his arms.

Diego laid a hand on his arm, giving him an anchor. Exactly what he needed.

" _I'm_ the hell, Diego. I- he enlisted early because of me! And what the fuck did he do after that? Where did I come from? Did he-" Klaus swallows down the urge to vomit again, resting his forehead on his knees. He tries not to look at the needle. He didn't need any tempting.

"No matter what, he dies. He DIED. And Ben left, and the war, oh my fucking god the WAR! All those explosions during the fight with your homicidal girlfriend..." His ears began to ring just thinking about it. Behind his closed eyes, brief flashes... he quickly opened them, leaning his head back against the wall to look at the molding ceiling.

Tears rolled down Klaus's cheeks, and Diego hesitated to wipe them away. He'd tensed when his brother mentioned Lila - another failed relationship. But hearing about Dave... maybe it wasn't so bad to lose her.

"K-klaus..." Diego started, and Klaus just raised his pale, shaking hand, laying it gently on top of Diego's. The contrast in the color of their skin... Klaus almost looked ~~dead~~ ghostly compared to him.

"I started seeing the ghosts again when I came back, Diego. Ghosts of my past... Vietnamese soldiers... people who'd died on past missions... even some of those masked freaks' victims. Screaming, crying begging me to finish what they couldn't." Klaus's grip on Diego's hand tightened, digging his bitten nails into his skin. Luckily, he didn't seem to mind. It made him feel stable.

"And none of them were Ben. None of them were Dave. All of them were lost souls, but none of them mine."

"I-"

"Shhhhh shshsh. Let me speak." Klaus said, hanging his head and looking at Diego once again. "...please."

He sounded apologetic with that last "please." What for, Diego thought? For having feelings? Vulnerability?

"I didn't say anything because I was scared I'd bring everyone down with me. We were _happy,_ you know? I didn't wanna ruin the euphoria of 'ohmygod, we're back again!' for them like I usually do. Because who cares about Klaus? Klaus is always sad. Klaus is stupid! Klaus is happy-go-lucky and weak and USELESS, fucking GOOD FOR NOTHING-" Klaus gagged, feeling another wave of vomit coming up.

Diego, luckily, moved back against the tub before he got kicked in the stomach by Klaus as he moved back to his position at the toilet, retching into the bowl. The tanner man looked away for that brief second until all he heard was dry heaving - he didn't want to puke either. 

However, he couldn't just watch Klaus in pure misery as he beat himself up for nothing. He got onto his knees and gently took hold of Klaus's shoulders, turning him around to face him. Then, before his brother could see his own tears falling, he pulled him into a tight hug, holding onto him like the world would fall apart if he let go.

And, technically, it would.

Klaus wrapped his arms around Diego's back, burying his head into his shoulder. And he cried hard, harder than he had been, fully letting all of his bottled-up emotions flow.

Diego didn't give a fuck if his brother ruined his nice shirt, or if he smelled like booze and upchuck and tears and blood - blood? He wasn't going to question it. He was crying, and he could feel Klaus's rapid, frantic heartbeat slowing as they sat there, together. Brothers. Friends. 

"You're a g-g-good person, Klaus. Trust me, if-if you weren't, I wouldn't be h-here, holding you a-and telling you it-it's okay." Diego lets himself chuckle softly, and feels Klaus do the same against his shoulder.

"That's gay, Diego."

"We're b-brothers, creep, don't be like-like Allison and Luth-ther."

"Don't even-"

"Okay, q-quiet, my time to spe-eak." Diego started tracing circles on Klaus's back with his fingers, something Grace - Mom - used to do when Diego got really worked up. Thank god Klaus and Diego were more similar than they thought; he could feel the other man relaxing, become less of a shaky, anxious mess.

"The reason nobody s-says anything is b-because you don't tal-lk to us, man. We care about you - even F-five - and my god, if-if the others saw you like th-thi-is..." Diego stopped to push down a sob. This wasn't his time to cry.

"You're a g-good guy, Klaus, okay? We really d-d-don't deserve you, honestly, you're-you're empathetic and sweet and funny a-and you're _strong._ You survived three f-f-fucki-ing YEARS in the apocalypse with just Ben and your w-wits, and wh-what happened? You started a damn cult, brother. That-that takes a lot.

"A-and on top of it all, wh-what you jus-st told me? That's strong-willed shit right-t there. You survived a war, t-two apocalypses, losing lov-ved ones, became God - g-give or take - you're one of the strongest p-people I know for putting up with the shi-it the world throws at you. Understand? I just-" Diego inhales shakily, gripping the fabric of Klaus's shirt in one of his hands, the other still tracing small circles.

Klaus is silent, and at first, Diego is worried. He unfurls his fist and moves his hand up to his brother's head, holding the back of it as a sort of stabilizer. Then, Klaus coughs, and Diego can feel how moist his shoulder is.

"A-are you listening?"

"Fucking of course I am, Diego." The medium mumbled, sharp inhales muffled by the shirt under his face. He's back to crying, but this time, it's less out of fear and paranoia. He feels _seen_. He hasn't felt seen since Dave and he had been... involved. It's a nice change of pace.

And suddenly, it doesn't seem impossible to swim out of that wave.

Diego pulls his head away to look at Klaus in the face - and my god, what a change. Sure, Klaus's eyes were still bloodshot, and he was snotty and crying and there was still vomit in the corner of his mouth, but he had a changed expression on his face. Underneath that painful exterior, Diego could see the hope in his face. He'd done what he could, and hopefully, it was enough.

"You are not responsible for a-anyone except for yourself, oka-ay? Nobody's death w-was - is - your fault. Nobody will feel bad if you just f-f-fucking tell us that you're spiraling." He pushed Klaus's hair out of his eyes despite his brother swatting at the gesture, leaning back a little farther and sighing. He probably had his fair share of tear streaks down his cheeks, but that wasn't important.

Klaus sat back on his haunches, looking back at the needle on the ground with a strange look. His eyes darted across the floor as he stared at that needle for a good thirty seconds, and in those thirty seconds, Diego was wound up and ready to take that shit away if Klaus even _moved_ towards it.

Then, he looked back at Diego, and he smiled. It wasn't an empty, false smile anymore either. It had that goddamn _hope_ that he'd thought he couldn't find.

The two brothers looked at each other, unspoken words hanging between them like a farmer's clothesline. They didn't need to be said; with just that elongated look, Diego said everything he needed to, and Klaus knew.

"Thank you."

The vigilante's face split into a thankful, exasperated grin, and he threw his hands into the air before wiping the undersides of his eyes. Klaus looked confused, but airily laughed, raking his hands through his mop that he called hair.

"What? Me saying _fank yew_ to my _bwother_ is funny?"

"Since when have you EVER said thank you genuinely? I'm fucking excited!"

Klaus smacked his arm with the back of his hand and then winced, turning his head away and groaning. Diego's face immediately turned concerned.

"Oh god, are you okay? W-was that a b-bad-"

"No, no, you can stop stuttering, don't worry. It's my fucking head..." He dug his nails into the bridge of his nose, squinting his eyes shut and coughing a little.

Diego sighed softly and got up off one knee, laying a hand between Klaus's shoulderblades and patting his back. "I c-can get you some Advil, if you need. But note that I will be WATCHING YOU take it, because you're c-clearly unstable, not to rub it in."

Klaus opened his eyes and looked at Diego over his shoulders, flipping him off with a quivering hand. "Oh, call _me_ unstable, Mr. "let's save JFK!" You have no room to talk."

"You- I'm g-gonna go get that Advil now."

"You'd better."

As he watched Diego leave, Klaus looked at the needle, biting his lip and tilting his head as he stared at it again. Then, he reached over and grabbed it, the intention of throwing it away in his mind. The temptation of the needle back in his hand surged through him, a feeling replicating his old highs and the euphoric feeling of escaping coursing through his bloodstream. Glancing at the open door, then back at the instrument, he felt his hands shaking with equal parts fear and excitement.

Then, he stood on wobbly legs and opened the bathroom window, tossing it into the alley and shutting the screen harshly. He jumped at the noise, but took a deep breath, turning back around and plopping down heavily on the bathtub's rim.

"Diego hates needles," he said bluntly to the air.

Everything was okay.

**Author's Note:**

> AHHHHHHH FUCK i almost shed REAL TEARS writing some of this. pain, just lots of pain,,,  
> thank you for staying until the end! i think this was the most words i've ever written in a work... ever.  
> i have a ua fan account now, by the way! follow it on instagram @dicksdrugsdebutantes and vote on my post (two posts away from my most recent!) to pick a new fic for me to write!
> 
> if you'd please leave some feedback/suggestions for anything, or just any thoughts you had in the comments, let me know! i'd be happy to hear anything you guys have for me.
> 
> alright! off to visit your mother! AAA-
> 
> note: might actually delete this, anxiety go brrrr i hate my writing  
> also i keep looking back at it and seeing a LOT of flaws lmao i hATE myself 👌😎


End file.
